In recent years optical fibers have come into wide spread use in a wide variety of applications in which optical signals are transmitted along such fibers and are switched from one fiber to another by means of an optical switch. Conventional optical switches generally include fiber positioning means, alignment signal emitter means and interconnected computer control means. A fiber positioning means is provided near the end of each fiber to selectively point the end of a given fiber in one fiber group toward the end of a given fiber in another fiber group for switched optical transmission therebetween. An alignment signal emitter means is provided near an end of and in predetermined spaced relationship to the end of each fiber to emit an alignment signal for receipt and use in controlling the fiber positioning means when aligning the ends of selected fibers in the fiber groups for switched optical transmission therebetween, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,036 and 5,177.348. This approach requires considerable complexity and duplication of alignment means for each alignable fiber. It would be very desirable to reduce this complexity and duplication and to increase speed of switching, reliability, as well as to reduce cost in implementation.